Future Imperfect
by MrQuinn
Summary: ((COMPLETE)) Mr. Collins and Wesley are killed, and now its up to Eric to unravel the mystery surrounding their murders. Little does he know, the conspiracy is only the beginning...
1. Chapter One

**_Disclaimer:_** _Power Rangers Time Force, Wild Force, and all related logos and characters are property of Saban/Disney Entertainment. I am using them without permission, but I don't intent to make a profit._

_**Future Imperfect**_  


* * *

**_ Silver Hills, California 1978 AD _**

* * *

  
  
"Time Force! You're under arrest," the pink ranger said, standing firmly with her badge in hand and a disrupter in the other.  
  
The mutant got a good look at his surroundings, only to discover he was cornered. The pink ranger had chased him down an alley, which had come to a dead end. It glanced around, trying to determine if it could either jump over her, or onto one of the buildings. It went for a jump, but the pink ranger fired a warning shot, making it think twice. Finally, the mutant realized it was pointless and raised its hands in the air… all four of them.

"This isn't over, ranger," it groaned.

The pink ranger reached behind her back, putting out two sets of handcuffs, then walked over to the mutant, cuffing both sets of hands. "Save it for the counsel, mutant, your time is up," she told it, then turned her attention to her morpher. "Kyle, I have the mutant in custody. I'll meet you back at the time ship."

Just then, a holographic image of her partner appeared. _'I read you loud and clear. I'll meet you there. And be careful,'_ he told her.

"Always," she said, grabbing the mutant and rushing away.

The sun was beginning to go down, so she didn't have a hard time making her way to the edge of the city without being seen. After all, a sub-human creature roaming the city in the 20th century would have caused a major panic. By the time she arrived at the time ship, the sun had set, and the moon had replaced it. They stepped over to the time ship, a blue beam encompassed them, and within seconds, they materialized inside the ship.

Kyle, who was sitting in front of the controls, turned around, facing them. "Good job. Did anyone see you?" he inquired.

She shook her head. "No, we went undetected," she said.

He stood up, walking over to them. "I'll take him to the holding area until we can get him back to the future. Set a course and engage the engines," he instructed, grabbing the mutant and making his way to the back of the ship.

The pink ranger sat in front of the controls, staring down at them. When she agreed to this mission, she had been told of the risks. She knew that a group of renegade mutants had traveled to the past, probably ordered by Ransik, hoping to alter the past, and in turn affect the future. Together, she and Kyle had been able identify, confront and capture all of them, but it took some doing. She was ordered to go under cover, to get as close as she could to the mutant's target and keep him safe.

What she didn't count on was falling in love with him.

The mission itself had taken a little over a year, and in that year, she was with him almost every second of the day. She had to be, there was no way to know when the mutants were going to attack, or where they'd be coming from. During the time she spent with him, she had gotten to know him. She'd come to respect him a great deal, and in time, fall in love with him. But again, she knew the risks.

_'Occupational hazard,'_ she sighed inwardly. She wasn't the first Time Force officer to get too involved in their mission, to allow personal feelings to affect her judgment. Situations like hers had been well documented, and what Time Force did to those who allowed their emotions to get in the way of their mission was common knowledge. That was the reason she'd kept her emotions to herself, refusing to tell Kyle. If she had told him, he would have aborted the mission, then sent her back to the future for memory adaptation. She refused to forget how she felt about this man, and refused to allow her job to dictate who she could and couldn't be with.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Kyle walked back into the cockpit, making his way towards her. "That's the last of them. Lets go home," he said cheerfully.

She quickly stood up, aiming her disrupter at him. "I'm sorry about this Kyle, really," she sighed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm not going back with you. I'm staying," she told him.

"You're doing this for _him_, aren't you?"

She paused. "Yes, I am. I love him, Kyle, and we're going to be together."

"Do you know what Time Force will do to you when they find out what you're doing? They won't stop hunting you down until they find you, and when they do, they'll haul your ass back to the future and give you memory adaptation. All your efforts will be for nothing," he explained.

"If I go back with you now, and they find out how I feel, they'll give it to me anyway. I love him, and I have to try. I owe it to him, I owe it to myself," she said.

Kyle took a step forward. "I'll do what I can to slow them down, but I won't be able to stop them from finding you. You know that, right?" he asked.

She nodded. "I know."

"Keep your morpher, but never activate it. If you do, they'll be able to trace the signal and find you. I'll try to contact you and warn you when they're coming, try to keep you one step ahead of the retrieval teams," he said.

She lowered her weapon. "Why Kyle? Why are you helping me?"

"Because you're my partner, and I know you'll never be happy if I try to make you come with me," he said.

She pressed a button on her morpher, powering down, and then walked over to him. "Thank you, Kyle, for everything," she cried.

"Good luck," he told her, sitting in front of the controls and activating the beam, teleporting her off the ship.

She stood on the shore, watching as the time ship lifted off, eventually disappearing into the wormhole.

* * *

**_ nine years later _**

* * *

She'd been in the yard all afternoon, planting flowers in front of the house. In the distance, she could hear her son and husband playing together, tossing the football back and forth. She'd come to enjoy spending time working in the yard, doing everything she could to improve the way it looked. Up until recently, the two of them had been living in a two-bedroom apartment, but when her husband inherited his father's business, they were able to afford much more. They'd gone from a two-bedroom apartment in the bad part of town to a seven bedroom, two-bathroom home with a pool and a two-car garage. They'd gone from sharing a used car to owning two brand new cars. One said _his_, the other said _hers. _They were able to put their son into a better school, and things were finally looking up for them.

She had known that if she stuck with him, things would work out, and now, they were. Together, they'd had the most handsome son, and they were considering having another. She didn't want to tell him until the time was right, but she was expecting another child. She was only a month along, and she wasn't showing at all, but had every intention of telling him tonight at dinner.

They had plans to go to a restaurant later in the evening. He'd made a reservation at her favorite place, and her brother-in-law, Andrew, was going to watch their son while they were out. Everything was falling into place for her, and tonight, she was going to tell him about the next addition to their family.

It had all been like a dream for her, a fairy tale. In fact, there was nothing that could have made her life any better. Things had worked out, and she was going to live happily ever after.

Then it happened…

"Elaine," she heard a voice say.

Without turning around, she knew exactly who it was. She stood up, making her way back to her feet and turning around, wiping her hands off on her apron. "Hello Kyle," she said dryly.

Her husband quickly tossed the football to their son, making his way over to them. "Laney, honey, who is this?" he asked.

"This is Kyle, we used to work together. Kyle, you remember my husband Alan, don't you?" she replied.

He nodded. "Of course."

"What's going on here?" Alan asked with a look of concern on his face.

"They're coming, Elaine, and I can't stop them. I held them off as long as I could, but there's nothing I can do for you now," he told her.

"Who's coming? What's happening?" her husband repeated.

"But I can't leave. I have a family now, a son," she cried.

"You have to come with me now," Kyle warned.

"No one is going anywhere until someone tells me what the hell is going on!" Alan snapped.

Her son dropped his football, rushing over to her. "Momma, what's wrong? Where are you going?" he asked her, looking up at her with concern in his eyes.

She leaned down, smiling warmly. "I'm going to the store with my friend. I'll be back as soon as I can," she said.

"Will you bring we something?"

"Yes Wesley, I'll bring you something," she said with a tear in her eye as she hugged him, knowing it might be the last that she was able to hold her son.

"Elaine, please tell me what's going on," Alan sighed.

Elaine stood up, turning to him. "Honey, I have to go, but I promise I'll do everything I can to come back. I swear," she told him, kissing him warmly on the lips, then turned to walk away.

"But Laney…" he sighed, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't let my son forget me," she sighed, following Kyle.

The two of them got into a car, and as soon as Kyle started it…

… it exploded.

* * *

**_ Silver Hills, California 2004 _**

* * *

  
Alan stood motionless, his face void of expression as he stared down at her gravesite. It had been seventeen years – in fact, seventeen years to the day, and even now, he wasn't sure what actually happened that day. It wasn't a usual day, and they were doing the same things they normally did. He was playing football with Wes, and Elaine was planting flowers in the yard, and everything in their lives was falling into place. He'd just inherited his father's company, Bio-Lab, and though he was putting in more hours than he wanted to, his family always seemed to understand. As a promise to them, he always kept Thursdays open. He wouldn't take appointments, no meetings, nothing. It was a day where his family did something together, and each week, all of them looked forward to it.

However, this day didn't turn out the way he'd hoped.

All he knew about the stranger was that Elaine use to work with him, but she never mentioned how long ago or where the place was. There was something between them, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it was obvious that the two of them were having a tacit conversation that he knew nothing about.

When Elaine got into the car with the stranger, he was convinced that eventually, she'd return and explain it to him, but then it happened… the car exploded, and just like that, the love of his life was gone. Not only was he forced to deal with the tragic passing of his wife, but he had the unenviable task of explaining it to his nine year old son. He explained it as best he could, but honestly, he didn't have all the facts either.

He kept his promise to her, and he never allowed Wes to forget his mother. Once a year, on the anniversary of her death, each of them came to the cemetery to visit her. As Wes got older, he started going on his own, but like clockwork, each of them went to pay their respects to her. _'Hard to believe it's been seventeen years already,'_ he thought to himself. He thought about that day every waking moment of his life, and the images of her car exploded had haunted his dreams since.

"I've done my best Elaine, and I've kept my promise. Wes has never forgotten you, and neither have I," he cried as he leaned forward, wiping the dirt and grime away from her tombstone with his hand.

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted as his cell phone rang. He quickly stood up, reaching into his coat and pulling out his phone. "Collins," he answered.

_'Sir, you have that one o'clock meeting scheduled,'_ a voice said.

He quickly recognized the voice as his personal secretary. "I haven't forgotten Myriah, I'm on my way in now," he assured her.

_'I'll see you then sir,'_ she said.

He hung up, putting the phone back in his pocket, staring down at her tombstone one final time, then walked away.


	2. Chapter Two

* * *

**_ Silver Hills, California 2004 AD _**

* * *

"I don't get it. Why does Mr. Collins want me to sit in on this meeting? I'm a soldier, not a businessman," Eric scoffed as the two of them made their way down the hall on their way to the main conference room.

In the past, Mr. Collins asked him to attend meetings, but they were usually in regards to the Silver Guardians, but lately, he'd been requesting Eric sit in on other staff meetings. Most times, they were routine personnel transfers, or budget cuts, but even so, he didn't understand why it was important for him to be there.

"He just respects your opinion, that's all," Wes replied.

"If you say so," he groaned.

"I _do_ say so," he paused. "After the meeting, you wanna go grab something to eat? They just opened a new restaurant downtown that I've been meaning to try out," he suggested.

"Can't. I've got plans."

"Plans?" he smiled. "You're going out with Taylor again, aren't you?" he asked him.

"Not that it's any of your business, Collins, but yes. Taylor and I are going to a monster truck rally, then…" he was quickly interrupted.

"Monster trucks? That isn't exactly the most romantic place you could take her," Wes pointed out.

"It was _her_ idea," Eric told him.

"Whoa, really? You two are perfect for each other. Pretty soon you'll be down on one knee poppin' the big question," he said.

"Whatever, Collins," he sighed. "She wanted me to invite you. You could even bring that girl you've been seeing. What's her name again?"

"Cassie."

"Yeah, Cassie," he paused. "What is it with you and pink rangers anyway?"

"Very funny," Wes scoffed.

"So, you interested?"

"I'll have to pass. I don't think Cassie's idea of a good time is a monster truck rally, but thanks," he said.

"I'm tellin' ya Collins, you don't know what you're missing."

The two of them walked into the conference room, where Mr. Collins was sitting at the head of the table. There was another man at the table, but because his back was turned, he wasn't able to determine who it was.

"Ah, I'm glad you two made it," Mr. Collins stood up, walking over to them. He quickly extended his hand to Eric, and Eric nodded as the two of them shook firmly. "Mr. Myers." He turned to Wes, wrapping his arms around him. "Good to see you, son," he said.

"You too, Dad," he answered.

Mr. Collins returned to his seat, while Wes and Eric took seats on opposite sides of the table. Once he sat down, Eric was able to get a look at the man Mr. Collins was sitting across from. He was an older gentleman, as far as Eric could guess, about in his mid thirties.

"Wesley, it's been a long time," the man said.

Wes glanced over at him, doing his best to appear courteous. "Yeah, it has, Uncle Andrew," he said.

Eric paused, taking a better look at him. It surprised him that he didn't see the family resemblance sooner. With the exception of being a little younger, and his hair was a bit darker, Andrew looked exactly like Mr. Collins.

"Andrew, this is Eric Myers, co-commander of the Silver Guardians," Mr. Collins introduced. "Eric, this is my brother, Andrew Collins."

Eric politely nodded. "Nice to meet you sir."

"The pleasure is mine. Its not everyday you meet the legendary Quantum ranger," he said eagerly.

"Now, we should really get down to business. The second quarter figures came in, and I have to say I'm a little disappointed in them. It shows another 12% drop in profits, and a dramatic overspending in the budget," he brought up.

"In which departments?" Wes asked.

"Mostly research and development. Maybe we should think about a few lay offs in non-essential departments," he suggested.

"Bad idea," Andrew mumbled under his breath.

"If you have something to say Andrew, just say it," Mr. Collins said.

"Lay offs is a short term solution to a long time problem. It may help the figures for next quarter, but the fourth quarter numbers will be down again, and this time by more than 12%. What you need is a drastic rethinking on how you do business here, which is where I come in," he stood up. "In 2001, you stopped charging a fee for the Silver Guardian's protection, offering free service for the entire city. At that moment, profits for this company went down over 40%. Factor in the cost for new vehicles, weapons and personnel, and Bio-Lab was losing millions a year in that department alone. When you had the chance to research the trixyruim crystal, which could have been an almost limitless source of energy, you decided not to pursue it, losing what had the potential to make this company billions of dollars. Later on in the year, Bio-Lab manufactured a serum that we could have potentially charged for, but distributed it for free. The serum cost this company a little over a million dollars to synthesize, not to mention the funding needed to pay off the lab techs. And Lord only knows why you dedicated so much money to the restoration of that old clock tower downtown. If that isn't enough, you donated ten million dollars to pay a ransom for a group of kids, a ransom that insurance refused to cover and for legal reasons couldn't be used as a tax write off. Its time for Bio-Lab to move back into the fore-front of business in this city again, to reestablish ourselves as a dominant force." He turned to his briefcase, pulling out several folders, sliding one to each of them. "I propose that Bio-Lab begin research on Bio-Chemical agents. Our initial tests show promising results, and if we focus more on…" he was interrupted as Mr. Collins threw the folder across the table.

"Bio-Lab will not research Bio-Chemical agents. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could be turned into a chemical weapon," he told him.

"Think of it Alan. In the _right_ hands, it would be able to cure cancer, or H.I.V., or even the common cold. Think of the billions we could make if…" Again, he was interrupted.

"Dad's right, it's too dangerous," Wes noted, sliding the folder back to his uncle.

"Why are you so concerned about whose hands it would fall into? This place is a fortress, protected by not only the Silver Guardians, who are regarded as the best line of defense this city has, but by the red ranger and the Quantum ranger. There is no way the agent could fall into anyone's hands other than ours," he mentioned.

"We can't ignore the possibility of what this agent could mean to humanity, but it could also be a disaster if something were to go wrong," Mr. Collins brought up.

"Damn it Alan, don't you see what this could mean to Bio-Lab? In a few years time, if profits continue to decline the way they have, Bio-Lab will be bankrupt. Look at the figures; just to break even for the third quarter, you'll have to lay off three hundred people. That's over half your staff, Alan, and by this time next year, profits will be down over 73%. We'll all be out of a job soon if this keeps up. Bio-Chemical applications is just what this company needs right now. The revenue from that department alone will generate billions," he explained.

"I understand what this could mean for our company, but I won't risk it. The possibility of someone using the application for something other than cancer research is far too great. It's a great idea, Andrew, but we can't…" He was cut short.

"Aren't you listening to me Alan? In two years time, you'll be out of a job. You'll have to sell your house, all your cars, you'll exhaust your trust fund, your stocks will be gone, and we'll all be out on the streets unless something happens now!" he snapped.

Eric stood up. "I believe Mr. Collins made it perfectly clear we don't intend to work on your chemical agents, so drop it," he said, finally speaking his mind.

"What he said." Wes smiled.

Andrew turned to his brother. "You don't know what you're doing, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You can't let this opportunity pass you by," he told them.

One by one, Wes, Eric and Mr. Collins stood up, heading towards the door. "I think we just did," Eric sighed.

Andrew quickly grabbed Eric's arm, turning him around. "This isn't over Quantum ranger, not by a long shot," he snarled.

Eric pulled away from him, making his way out of the room.

"I can't believe the nerve of that guy," Eric groaned as he paced back and forth in his apartment.

He'd known Mr. Collins for years, and respected him. After all, it was Mr. Collins who gave him the opportunity to become a Silver Guardian a few years ago, then to command the unit when their C.O. was injured. Eventually, he and Wes were named co-commanders of the entire Silver Guardian unit, and though the fact that he was the Quantum Ranger played a factor in that decision, the fact remained that Mr. Collins saw potential in him and gave him the opportunity to prove himself.

"Did any of you ever stop to consider that maybe he was right? If this chemical agent can potentially cure cancer or HIV, isn't it worth researching?" Taylor asked him.

"If that chemical agent was to fall into the wrong hands, it could be used as a biological weapon. The Guardians have their hands full with protecting the city, the last thing we need is a biological weapon spreading through the city," he said.

"You're being melodramatic. The Silver Hills Police Department can handle the city. The Silver Guardians only focus on terrorist attacks and mutants, and there hasn't been much of either in the last few years. As a matter of fact, the last time there _was_ a mutant attack, the other rangers and I were there to clean up the mess," she mentioned.

"I seem to remember the _Time Force_ rangers defeating the mutorgs, not the _Wild Force _rangers," he pointed out.

"Whatever."

"Look, we should get going if we're going to get to the truck races on time," Eric said, quickly changing the subject.

Taylor glanced down at her watch. "You're right. I'll go start the car," she told him as she made her way out of the room.

Eric couldn't help but crack a smile as she walked away. _'Who would have thought?'_ he wondered to himself. It was hard for him to believe that it had been nearly three years since the two of them met. He had been convinced that she was trouble; a lawbreaker. _'That's why I pulled her ass over in the first place,'_ he thought.

Even then, there was something about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. But, after she and the Wild Force rangers helped them defeat the motorgs and defend the city, his opinion of her changed. Shortly afterwards, the two of them became friends, but it didn't take long for their feelings to develop. They'd been together ever since, and he couldn't have been happier.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. He opened it, admiring the ring inside, smirking slightly. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the car horn blow. He quickly slid the box back into his pocket, and then headed out of the room.

Wes sat behind his desk, reviewing the preliminary reports his uncle had given him earlier. As much as he hated to admit it, a lot of the research seemed promising. If done correctly, the chemical agents would eventually lead to cures for even the most deadly diseases, but it was what could happen if they were used improperly that bothered him.

When Venomark attacked the city, over half the population was infected. If it hadn't been for the antidote he found, the infection would have eventually killed them all. The Bio-Chemical agent his uncle wanted to manufacture, if it was to be used incorrectly and spread, it would have taken years for them to find a cure. And by then, everyone infected would be dead. The rewards were great, but if something were to go wrong, the consequences were too high.

His thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang. He put the folder in his drawer, and then reached for the speakerphone button.

"Wesley Collins," he answered.

_"How'd I know you were still at work?"_ a voice asked.

He quickly recognized the voice as his girlfriend, Cassie. It had taken him a while to deal with the fact that he would never be able to be with Jen. After all, she was a thousand years in the future, and though she came back a few years ago to assist them with the mutorgs, he'd come to realize that he would never see her again. For a while, he decided not to fall for anyone else, just be a bachelor for a while. Needless to say, it didn't work out for him…

… and that's when he met Cassie.

Shortly after he assisted the other red rangers to defeat the Machine Empire, Andros, the red space ranger, introduced him to Cassie. At first, he was reluctant to date another former ranger. He was sure she'd be called to action again, and when she went off on a mission, she wouldn't come back. _'It's the risk you take as a ranger,'_ he thought to himself, briefly glancing over at the morpher on his wrist.

It didn't take long for him to get over his fears, and the two of them began spending more and more time together. Before he knew it, he had fallen for her completely, and though he still thought of Jen from time to time, he didn't let that interfere with his relationship with Cassie.

For the first time since Jen left him, he was happy again.

"Yeah, I'm still here," he sighed.

_"I was hoping you'd stop by tonight. I'm going to make spaghetti and meatballs. I thought after we ate, we could rent a movie or something."_

Wes smiled. "Sounds like a good idea, I'll just…" he paused as, in the distance, he heard an explosion. Judging by the distance, it came from the parking lot. "Cas, I'll call you back," he said, neglecting to hit the speakerphone button as he stood up, rushing out of his office and into the hallway.

He rushed out of the building, where there was a car gone up in flames. Wes headed back in the building, grabbing a fire extinguisher, then made his way back to the car in an attempt to put the fire out. Once the fire was under control, he was able to get a good look at the car. _'Oh no, its Dad's car,'_ he sighed.

Wes grabbed the door, but it was so hot that it burned his hands. He quickly took off his shirt, wrapping it around his hands and snatched what was left of the door open. As the door hit the ground, a lifeless body fell out the car, collapsing to the ground. "Oh God no! Dad, can you hear me?" he screamed.

His father didn't respond.

Wes quickly checked for a pulse, but there was nothing. "Come on, Dad, I'm going to get you to the hospital," he cried, trying to help his father off the ground. As Wes tried to get him up, he heard someone behind him. He turned around, only to be hit over the head with…

…with something, and he fell to the ground, collapsing onto his father's body.

_"In other news, a tragic accident leaves two dead in Silver Hills, California last night. Forty-three year old Alan Collins, CEO and co-founder of Bio-Lab, and his son, twenty-six year old Wesley Collins, most noted as the red ranger and co-commander of the Silver Guardians, were killed in an explosion. Police report that faulty wiring may have been the cause for the car's explosion, but an official investigation is underway. There were no witnesses to the incident, but several Bio-Lab workers discovered the car and quickly called the fire department. Both Alan and Wesley Collins were rushed to Silver Hills Hospital, but were pronounced dead on arrival. We'll keep you posted as more…"_

She reached for her remote, turning off the television. "Oh no, Welsey," she sighed.

She knew it was no accident, that someone had purposely set out to kill them, but who? And why? Her thoughts shifted to Kyle. _'Car explosions are his MO, its probably him,'_ she thought, but she still wasn't convinced it was him. _'Well, there's only one way to find out for sure,'_ she thought to herself, but didn't want to risk returning to Silver Hills. If she did, her secret would be discovered, and she wasn't prepared to explain where she'd been for the last seventeen years. Still, she _had _to know the truth. She _had_ to know why someone wanted to kill Wes and Alan. _'It's my fault,'_ she thought to herself. _'If I had just gone back, they would be after him. All of this is my fault, and I owe it to him to find out the truth,'_ she thought as a tear rolled down her face.

**_ the next day... _**

Eric pulled up in his truck, leaving Taylor inside, quickly getting out and making his way over to the crime scene. _'Crime scene,'_ he sighed inwardly. Though the police and reporters were saying the car exploding was an accident, he knew better. _'It was that damn Andrew, and I intend to prove it,'_ he thought to himself.

He lifted up the yellow tape blocking his way to what was left of the car, but was stopped by a policeman. "Sorry sir, we're going to have to ask you to step back behind the…"

Eric pulled out his badge, quickly flashing it. "Silver Guardians. Now, tell me what you know about the incident," he said calmly.

The officer nodded. "At approximately 10 pm last night, Alan Collins and his son got into this vehicle, but there was a malfunction and the car exploded," he said.

"Approximately 10, huh? Have you checked with the receptionist here yet? All staff are required to sign in and out after business hours," he mentioned.

"No sir, I haven't."

"Mr. Collins is notorious for staying at the office pretty late, but Wes is usually gone by eight or nine," he pointed out.

"I'll look into that sir."

"Can you open the hood of the car?" Eric inquired.

"We have sir, but as we said, it appears to be a malfunction of some kind," he reminded him.

"Let me take a look," he said, walking over to the car. He opened the hood, examining what was left of the engine. Next, he slid under the car, taking a look around. When he slid back out, he handed the officer a small wad of putty. "Do you know what that is?"

"No sir."

"Its putty, typically used to hold an explosive in place. I found this near the gas tank," he said.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Wes and his father were murdered, and I'm going to find the bastard who did it," Eric snapped.


	3. Chapter Three

Eric stood off to the side, watching as local police, investigators and various Silver Guardians examined the crime scene. The yellow tape around the scene prevented the media from getting through, but it didn't stop them from trying to get interviews with anyone they could get their hands on. After all, the death of a CEO of a company is one thing, but the apparent death of a power ranger was huge news for their city. It would be the scoop of the year for anyone, but all the Guardians were under strict orders not to disclose any information.

Part of him didn't want to believe it; he couldn't bring himself to believe that his best friend was dead. It wasn't a mutant attack, or a battle; it was a senseless car bomb. For someone who'd risked his life time and time again, it almost seemed inhumane that Wes would have such a pointless death.

_'There were so many things I should have told him before he died, things he deserved to know,'_ he thought to himself. Wes had always been his closest friend, but because of his foolish pride, or his ego, or perhaps a little bit of both, he couldn't bring himself to tell Wes how he felt. Wes, in the truest sense of the word, was like a brother to him. And now, he would never get the chance to tell him exactly how much his friendship and support had meant over the years.

Then it occurred to him…

_'Wes' mother died in a car explosion just like this one almost seventeen years ago, and they were never able to determine what went wrong with the car,'_ he recalled. Wes had explained to him the details of his mother's death, and the mystery that surrounded it. He didn't like to talk about it much, but Eric didn't blame him. _'That means whoever did this may have been the person who killed Wes' mom too,'_ he concluded.

And that was even more reason for him to suspect Andrew of foul play. He was the only one who could have had contact with Wes, his mother and his father all those years ago.

"Commander Myers," a voice said, breaking his train of thought.

He glanced up as a detective made her way over to him. "Sir, I'm detective Butler, lead investigator on this case. I must say, it's an honor to be working with you," she said, extending her hand to him.

"What can you tell me?" he asked her, ignoring her hand.

She quickly put her hand down. "From what I can tell, it was a standard car bomb set near the gas tank, and rigged to explode when the engine was started. Pretty basic stuff," she said.

"Basic? So how do you explain this?" he asked, reaching in his pocket and pulled out a small wad of putty, handing it to her.

"Its putty, used to hold small explosives. Nothing unusual."

"Don't you find it strange that I was able to pull this from the gas tank and it _wasn't_ burned to a crisp?" he asked.

"What are you getting at?"

"I think this was placed _after_ the car exploded, and that someone wanted me to find it," Eric told her.

"But why? What would anyone have to gain from that?"

"I don't know yet, but I intend to find out. You can tell your unit that this is now officially a Silver Guardian matter, and I'll be heading this investigation myself," he said.

"With all due respect sir, I don't think…" she was cut short.

"I didn't ask you what you thought, detective. You have two minutes to clear your people out of here or I'll do it _for _you," he warned.

"Have it your way, Commander, but the mayor will hear about this," she said, walking towards her team.

Within minutes, each of them gathered their belongings and left the crime scene, leaving Eric alone to examine it on his own. The car itself had been burned to a crisp, and it had been dusted for fingerprints several times. None of their tests had been able to lead them to a suspect, but Eric was already convinced he knew who was behind it.

"Andrew," he mumbled under his breath with a tone of contempt. With both Wes and Mr. Collins out the way, Andrew would be named the new CEO of the company, and he'd be able to manufacture the bio-chemical agents. _'And if that happens, we'll have an even bigger problem on our hands,'_ he thought to himself.

Eric sat in what was left of the car, hoping he would find something he'd overlooked, something that would confirm what he already knew: Andrew was guilty of murder. The seats were charred, and the smell of smoke was still in the car. He glanced over at the steering wheel, and that's when he saw…

"Keys?" he mumbled, quickly turning his attention to them, or at least where they _should_ have been. "Mr. Collins never even started the car," he sighed.

Now it was more than apparent that someone had gone out of their way to give it the appearance that there was a car bomb, but now he had enough proof to conclude that it wasn't. Granted, there was an explosion of some kind, but not from the typical car bomb. _'Now I have to find a way to prove it was that bastard Andrew,'_ he thought.

"Eric!" he heard a voice call out.

He glanced up towards the barricades, where he saw Cassie trying to force her way through, but being held back by the Silver Guardians. He got out of the car, making his way over to her. "She's okay, let her through," he said.

The Guardians stepped aside, allowing her through, and she quickly wrapped her arms around him. "Tell me where he is," she cried.

Eric backed away. "Cassie, what are you talking about? Wes is dead," he told her.

"No, I don't care what they're saying on the news. He isn't dead, I talked to him last night," she mentioned.

"So did I, just before Taylor and I went out,"

She shook her head. "No, I mean I was on the phone with him when the explosion went off. He wasn't in the car," she told him.

"What?"

"He was in his office when the explosion went off, he hung up with me to see what happened," she said.

"I've checked with the receptionist, and Mr. Collins checked out exactly 9:57 pm. That would give him exactly three minutes to get down here to his car, but Wes never checked out. If what you're saying is true, whoever killed Mr. Collins was here when it happened, and when Wes showed up, kidnapped him," he said.

"But that doesn't make sense. They said they found two bodies in the car and identified them as Wes and his dad," she pointed out.

"I think it's time we have a talk with the coroner," he paused. "But first, I have a call to make," Eric said.

* * *

** New Silvers Hills, California 3000 AD **

* * *

Trip had been sitting in front of the control panel most of the morning, going over systems checks. Once they returned from their mission to capture the mutorgs, all of them had been assigned to street patrol, except for Trip, who settled for a job as a repair technician. It wasn't the fast paced life of a power ranger he'd gotten used to, but it was still something he loved to do.

Since then, Time Force had seen fit to take their morphers from them, and assign a new group of rangers to defend the city. Though lately, there wasn't much of a mutant problem, especially since Ransik was no longer a mutant. The last remaining mutants had been captured and sentenced, and the future was finally safe.

Just then, he heard a beeping sound. Trip glanced over at the controls to investigate, only to find a light blinking. _'It's a priority channel,'_ he thought. His first thought was to answer it, but now he no longer had clearance to answer priority messages. He turned around; glancing around the room, and soon realized he was the only one there.

After further investigation, he realized where the message was coming from. "It's Wes," he sighed.

He paused again, weighing the consequences of answering the message. _'Oh what the hell,'_ he thought, making his way over to the controls. He turned on the view screen, opening a channel. The screen blinked on, and instead of Wes, it was Eric. Behind Eric was a young woman, and though Trip recognized her, he couldn't put his finger on who she was.

"Eric, it's good to see you," Trip said eagerly.

"Hey Trip, we need your help," Eric told him.

"What can I do for you?"

"Someone is going out of their way to make us think that Wes and his father are dead. We're heading to the coroner's office in a minute, but whoever this is, we're going to need some help figuring everything out. I need you and the other rangers to lend us a hand," he said.

"I'd love to, Eric, but we're not rangers anymore. They took our morphers, and we don't have access to them," he said.

"Still, we can use the help. Can you come…" he was cut short.

"We can't. We're field police now, and we don't have access to a time ship. We'd be arrested the moment we stepped into the docking area," he told him.

"If we don't do something now, Andrew Collins will start working on bio-chemical weapons, and there's no telling how much damage he'll do. The time line could change, and the future will be affected," he pointed out. "Where is Alex? Maybe I should talk to him."

"Alex has been on assignment for a while, and we have no way to contact him."

"Damn it, Trip, we have to do something,"

He paused. He hadn't been a ranger in a while, so long in fact that he'd almost forgotten what it was like. Even so, he remembered Wes and what his friendship meant to him. He also knew that he wouldn't be the only one willing to risk their careers to help Wes and Eric.

"I haven't been in touch with the others in a while. I'll contact them, and we'll be there. You have my word," Trip said.  
  
"Thanks Trip," Eric said, nodding.

* * *

**_ Silver Hills 2004 _**

* * *

"You know you could have waited in the car, Cassie," Eric mentioned as the two of them walked into the coroner's office. The room itself was rather dim, with several examining tables scattered around the room. Against the wall were several cabinets, each of them with different names on them.

"No, I have to do this. I _have_ to know," she insisted.

"Okay, just stay by the door and stand guard. Let me know if anyone's coming," he said, heading over to the end of the room.

"Couldn't you have just told the coroner you were conducting an investigation? They would have cooperated," she said.

"Someone is going through a lot of trouble to hide something, and we have no way of knowing who else is in on this little conspiracy. I'm not sure who we can trust, so I decided to have a look at the files for myself," he told her, making his way over to a file cabinet up against the wall.

"What do you think you'll find?"

"Actually, it's what I _won't_ find that interests me," he pulled a folder out of the cabinet, skimming through it. "These are the files on Wes and Mr. Collins, but they're both empty," he told her.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm willing to bet that both of them are still alive, and someone just wants them out of the way," he said.

"But who?"

"Andrew Collins," he said coldly.

"Andrew? You mean Wes' uncle? Why would he want his own brother and nephew out of the way?" she asked him.

"With Mr. Collins and Wes out of the picture, he'll be able to take control of Bio-Lab. When he does, he'll start working on the bio-chemical agents, and then it'll only be a matter of time before something goes wrong and the entire city is affected," he told her.

"What can we do?"

"Right now, nothing. Once the other rangers get here, we'll be able to come up with a plan. As for now, I can't prove anything, so it's best that neither of us say a word," he said.

"Okay."

"Just go home. I promise I'll find Wes and have him home in time for dinner," Eric assured her.

* * *

**_ New Silver Hills 3000 _**

* * *

****

Trip walked into the interrogation area, where Katie was standing in front of a window, simply watching. On the other side of the window was Jen, interrogating what appeared to be a mutant.

It had been almost three months since the last time he'd seen Katie, and she was noticeably different. Her hair was a little longer, and had been straightened. She also had an extra bar on her uniform, suggesting she may have been promoted since the last time he saw her.

"Hello Katie," he said.

She turned around, getting a good look at him. "Trip, its so good to see you!" She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "What brings you all the way down to the interrogation room?"

"I just got a call from Eric, Wes is in trouble," he said.

She paused. "What do you expect us to do? We're not rangers anymore," she mentioned.

"I know, but Eric could really use our help."

"And how are we supposed to get there? Time Force isn't going to let us borrow a time ship. The last time we had one, we blew it up," she pointed out.

"I know, but…"

Finally, Jen walked out of the room, leaving the mutant alone. "He'll be ready to talk in a minute. When he goes, we'll nail him!" She noticed Trip. "Hey stranger, it's been a while," she said cheerfully. She walked over to give him a hug, but noticed the look of concern on his face. "Trip, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Its Wes. He's…" He let his sentence trail off.

"What? How?"

"We don't know. Eric is investigating what happened, but he asked for our help," he told her. "Do you think you could get Alex to loan us a time ship?"

"I don't have any way to contact Alex, and the last time I tried, Captain Logan brushed me off. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it on our own," she said.

"If we do this, it'll be the end of our careers," Katie mentioned.

"My career was over when we came back from the year 2002. After we destroyed the mutorgs and came home, they've had us reduced to fieldwork. The last time I talked to Lucas, he said he was giving out parking tickets for a living. I don't know about the rest of us, but if helping Eric means we can't come back to our lives here, I'm willing to take the chance," Jen explained. "Now, who's with me?"

"Count me in," Trip said firmly.

"Me too," Katie agreed.

"Good. Katie, go find Lucas and tell him what's going on. I'll find a way to get us a time ship. When you have him, meet me in the loading area," she said.

"You got it Jen," Katie said, rushing off.

"What about me?" Trip asked.

"You and I are going to the loading area to convince someone to let us borrow a time ship," she told him.

* * *

**_ Silver Hills 2004 _**

* * *

Eric walked into Bio-Lab with a look of determination on his face. Completely ignoring everyone he passed in the hallway, he made his way to Andrew Collins' office. _'If that son of a bitch even looks at me wrong, I'm going to…' _he paused slightly, trying to control his anger. There was no proof that Andrew had anything to do with the incident, but something in his gut told him Andrew was guilty.

He quickly kicked open the door, storming into Andrew's office. "You've got some explaining to…" he paused, noticing that Andrew was putting the last of his belongings into a box sitting on the desk. "Going somewhere?" he snapped.

Andrew glanced up at him, and Eric noticed the tears in his eyes. "Alan and Wes are gone, there's no need for me to be here. I'm quitting," he told him.

"What?"

"I know I didn't see eye to eye with my brother all the time, but he was still my brother, and I miss him already. I can't be here, everything reminds me of him," he mentioned.

It was then that it hit Eric like a ton of bricks. _'Maybe I jumped to conclusions, maybe I was wrong about him,'_ he thought to himself. "You really didn't have anything to do with this, did you?" he asked.

"Of course not. How dare you storm in here and even insinuate that I had something to do with my brother's murder! I loved him, and I loved my nephew!" he snapped.

"I didn't mean to…"

"I know what you thought, you thought that with them out of the way, I'd have control of the entire company, and I'd start working on the bio-chemical agents, didn't you? Do you think I'd stoop _that_ low to make a profit? That I'd kill my own brother and kidnap my nephew to make money?" he snapped.

Suddenly, the look of regret on Eric's face was gone, and replaced by determination and malice. "Sorry to have bothered you," he groaned, turning around and walking out of the office.

As he headed toward his car, Taylor hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "I came as soon as I could. Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine, and I know who's responsible for all of this," he said dryly. "Andrew Collins."

"But how do you know?"

"When I was in his office, he told me he'd never have his brother killed or his nephew kidnapped. According to police reports, Wes was in that car when it exploded. The only way he could have known Wes was kidnapped is if he had something to do with it," he said, getting in the car.

"What can I do? How can I help?" Taylor asked him.

"There's nothing you can do now, but I might need a favor from you later," he mentioned.

"Anything, you know that."

"I'll be in touch," he said, driving away.

Taylor simply watched as Eric's car got further and further away…

… then exploded.


	4. Chapter Four

"How dare you storm in here and even insinuate that I had something to do with my brother's murder! I loved him, and I loved my nephew!" Andrew snapped.

"I didn't mean to…"

"I know what you thought, you thought that with them out of the way, I'd have control of the entire company, and I'd start working on the bio-chemical agents, didn't you? Do you think I'd stoop _that_ low to make a profit? That I'd kill my own brother and kidnap my nephew to make money?" he snapped.

Suddenly, the look of regret on Eric's face was gone, and replaced by determination and malice. "Sorry to have bothered you," he groaned, turning around and walking out of the office.

Andrew waited until Eric was all the way down the hall, and then motioned someone from behind the door. "Its safe, he's gone now," he said.

A man came from behind the door with a somber look on his face. He couldn't have been any taller than six feet, maybe six one, with sandy brown hair and gray eyes. "So that's the quantum ranger. Funny, when I read about him, I imagined him taller," the man said.

"Eric is becoming a thorn in my side. If he finds out what we've done, it will ruin what we've worked for. I'm _this_ close to taking over this company, and we can't allow anything to interfere with that," he snapped.

"Its already been taken care of,"

"You mean like the way you took care of my brother? Damn it, I wanted him kidnapped and presumed dead, not actually killed," he reminded him.

"Things didn't go as planned, but Wesley Collins is safe and secure," the man assured him.

"Good. Now tell me how you plan to deal with the Quantum ranger," Andrew said.

At that moment, in the distance, there was an explosion. Andrew turned to the window in his office, and saw a cloud of smoke about fifty feet away.

"Done," the man told him.

Andrew turned around with a smile on his face. "You're good, but what's with you and exploding cars?" he asked.

"When the right amount of explosives are used, it leaves the body unrecognizable. Besides, I like explosions," he told him.

"As long as it gets the job done. Tomorrow is Alan and Wesley's funerals. Afterwards, I will be named to the new CEO of Bio-Lab, and as soon as I am, as agree, ten million dollars will be wired to your bank account. You've done excellent work Kyle," he said, extending his hand to him.

He quickly obliged him. "I do pride myself on my work," he said as he nodded slightly, then walked out of the room. As soon as he got into the elevator, he pulled sleeve up on his shirt slightly, revealing a morpher. "Was the transfer a success?" he asked.

The image of another Time Force officer appeared. _'Affirmative, I've got him. I just hope you know what you're doing,'_ the officer said.

"I do, I'm putting destiny back on track. Any sign of the mutant?"

_'No, but with Alan Collins dead, he may have returned to the future. I'll keep checking, just to be sure,'_

"I'm on my way back to the time ship, I think its time we fill our guests in on what's going on. Kyle out," he said.

* * *

**_ New Silver Hills, California 3000 AD _**

* * *

It seemed like just yesterday she saw Wes, and everything was fine. They were able to defeat the mutorgs together, and the two of them decided that even though they truly loved each other, that things between them could never work out. Leaving him the first time was hard enough, but to leave him again, knowing that it would be the last time she saw him, was even harder. Since then, history records that Wes took control of Bio-Lab and got married. Though the history logs were detailed, and she could have found out who it was, she decided against it. She didn't want to know.

Now, with things finally going well for Wes, something had affected the time line, and he was killed. She knew she had to find out what happened, why it happened, and bring whoever killed him to justice.

She walked into the loading dock area, Trip walked close behind her, but a young woman in a Time Force uniform stopped her.

"Oh my God, its _you._ It's Jennifer Ann Scotts, former pink ranger. I can't believe I finally got to meet you," the woman said eagerly.

"Who are you?" Jen sighed.

"I'm your biggest fan. After hearing about your missions to the 21st century, I was inspired to join Time Force. I thought it was soooo romantic the way you and Lester Collins fell in love," she said.

"His name was _Wesley_ Collins,"

"Oh right, sorry. There's nothing sexier than forbidden love," she said.

"Who are you?" Jen repeated.

"Oh, I'm Sierra. Sierra Riley, the new pink ranger," she introduced.

Jen glanced down at her wrist, and was surprised that she didn't notice the morpher earlier. "They gave my morpher to a rookie?" she groaned.

"I'm not a rookie, this is my ninth month with Time Force I'll have you know," she responded.

"So what are you doing down here?" Trip asked her, injecting himself into the conversation.

"I'm under orders not to allow anyone near the time ships," she said.

"Orders? From who?"

"I'm afraid I can't discuss that with you," Sierra said.

Jen glanced over, noticing that two of the time ships were missing. "Sierra, where are the other time ships?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean there are _three_ time ships, but there is only one in the loading area. Where are the other two?" she repeated.

"I'm afraid I can't discuss it with you. The matter is classified,"

Jen turned to Trip. "Go prep The Time Shadow for launch, the others will be here soon," she said.

"The Time Shadow? Why not just a time ship?" Trip asked.

"We don't know what we're up against. Its better if we go prepared," she told him.

Trip made his way towards the entrance, but Sierra stood in his way. "I can't allow you to access the time ship," she paused. "Wait, what do you mean the others? Are the other former rangers coming too?" she asked.

"Yes,"

"You're trying to go back in time and rekindle your love with Wesley, aren't you? Oh my God, that is sooooo sweet," she said as her eyes began to tear.

Jen sighed. "Yes, that's exactly it. My love for Wes transcends time and space. I have to be with him," she told her, ready to tell her whatever she had to say to get by her.

"I'd love to just let you go. After all, I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of true love, but Alex will take my morpher and fire me if I let you go," she said.

"Alex is the one who gave you the order?" Trip asked.

"Yes. He told me that until he was back from special assignment, no one was allowed near the ship," she said.

"Well, when you wake up, just explain to Alex that we overpowered you and stole the ship," Jen said.

"What? Overpower me? With all respect due, I'm the pink ranger now, and I doubt that…" she was cut short as Jen cocked back, hitting her, knocking her unconscious instantly.

"Sweet girl," she said as they stepped over her, making their way to the time ship.

* * *

**_ Silver Hills 2004 AD _**

* * *

Taylor sat down in front of her computer, quickly turning it on. Ironically enough, she was against getting a computer at all, but Alyssa convinced her to. However, once she learned how to use it, she found herself staring at her monitor for hours at a time. She used it to research, keep up with current events, and even talk to people who were too far away to call. She'd gotten use to keeping in touch with her friends via the computer, and even made a few new friends as a result.

"So what do you think this friend of yours on line will be able to do?" Cassie asked, standing over Taylor's shoulder as she logged into the system.

"This guy is smart, real smart, and he may be able to help us. I met him about a year ago when Alyssa drug me to one of her computer conventions while she was in school. He's a great guy, and if he may be able to help us figure out what's going on," she told her.

"Are you sure you can trust him? I've heard a lot of bad things about meeting people online," she brought up. "He could be one of those internet predators, or a pervert or something."

"I didn't meet him on line, we met at a computer convention, remember? He lives in Blue Bay Harbor, which isn't too far from here. Besides, he's a former ranger too. I know he'll be able to help,"

"A ranger? Which one?"

"I think he said he was green… I think," she said, sounding a bit unsure.

"If you think this guy can help us, fine," she sighed.

Taylor quickly checked her list of friends to see if he was online. "Oh good, he's here. Now we can get to the bottom of all this," she said, then turned to her keyboard to type her message.

**SoarinEagle02:** Hello?

**SoarinEagle02:** Are you here?

**GSR03:** Yeah, whats up?

**SoarinEagle02:** Been watching the news lately?

**GSR03:** Yeah, I heard about Alan Collins and   
his son

** GSR03:** did you know them?

**SoarinEagle02:** Yes, they were my friends

** GSR03:** I'm sorry :(

**SoarinEagle02:** We think someone is trying to  
fake their deaths

**GSR03:** So do I

**SoarinEagle02:** ?????

**GSR03:** yeah, brb

**SoarinEagle02:** ok

"What does _brb_ mean?" Cassie asked, still standing over Taylor's shoulder.

"It means he'll be right back," she said.

"Oh. What does _ok_ mean?"

"It means okay,"

"Oh. Sorry, I don't know much about computer language," Cassie admitted.

"Its okay,"

**GSR03:** still here?

**SoarinEagle02:** yep. What do you have?

**GSR03:** did you know that Elaine Collins died  
almost 17 years ago?

**SoarinEagle02:** yeah

**GSR03:** what's interesting is that she was killed in  
a car explosion

**SoarinEagle02:** ???

**GSR03:** I think the person who killed Mr. Collins is   
the same person who killed Elaine 17 years ago

**SoarinEagle02:** you sure?

**GSR03:** no, but after the car exploded, Mr. Collins  
described to the police what the man driving the  
car looked like. There's a picture of it on the web

**SoarinEagle02:** okay, and?

**GSR03:** I'm sending you the picture from today's   
paper and a sketch of the guy Mr. Collins   
described 17 years ago

**SoarinEagle02:** ok

Just then, a small box popped up on the screen. "What is that?" Cassie asked.

"He's just sending me some files. It'll take a few minutes to download," she told her.

"Okay,"

Within moments, the download was complete, and the two of them got a good look at the newspaper clipping, then compared it to the sketch he'd sent.

"What are we looking for?" Cassie asked.

Taylor turned to her computer.

**SoarinEagle02:** what am I suppose to see?

**GSR03:** look at the man in the upper left hand   
corner of the picture

**SoarinEagle02:** ok

The two of them stared closely at the screen. "Oh my God, it looks like the same guy. The guy who was there when Wes' mom dead was there when Mr. Collins was killed," Taylor said.

"But who is he?"

Taylor turned to her computer again.

**SoarinEagle02:** any idea who this guy is?

**GSR03:** no, and there's nothing on him on record.

**GSR03:** its like he doesn't exist

**GSR03:** but let me check with my friend Hayley in  
Reefside, she may be able to help track this guy  
down

**SoarinEagle02:** thanks again for your help

**SoarinEagle02:** I'll be in touch

**GSR03:** np

"What does _np_ mean?" Cassie asked.

Taylor stood up. "Whoever this guy is, he's been trying to kill Wes' family one member at a time. Eric was probably close to figuring out who he was, and he had Eric killed to keep him quiet," she deducted.

"So if we find this guy…"

"… we'll find Wes, and this guy will get what's coming to him," Taylor said.

"So what do we do?"

"I think we should head down to Bio-Lab. I have a feeling we'll find something there," she said.

Without question, Cassie nodded, following her out of the room.

****

He had been blindfolded, so there was no way for him to get a good look at the room, but based on his other senses, he was able to put together where he was. It was cold, but there was no draft of any kind, so he deduced he was a room, more than likely with metal walls. That could have meant a boat, or a plane, but as best as he could tell, they weren't in motion. Though his hands were cuffed behind his back, he wasn't in any pain, leading him to think whoever had done this wasn't trying to harm him.

_'Then again, hitting me with that pipe hurt,'_ he thought to himself.

He'd done his best to get a look at the person who hit him before the pipe connected with his skull, but it was dark, and it all happened so fast.

There was a slight humming around, but he was unable to figure out where it was coming from. Every now and then, there was a beeping sound as well, but as best he could tell, there was no pattern to it. The more he listened to the sounds around him, the more familiar they became to him. _'I've heard all these sounds before, but from where?'_ he wondered.

As best he could tell, his morpher was still on his wrist, but he wasn't able to reach any of the buttons to activate it. Not that it mattered, because as long as he had it on, he knew Eric would be able to track him. He sighed with the comfort that Eric wouldn't rest until he tracked him down.

His thoughts were broken as, in the distance, he heard a squeak of some kind. If he had to make an educated guess, it was the sound of a metal door opening, but there was no way to be sure. Then, he heard thumping sounds… after taking a closer look, he determined they were footsteps…

… and they were getting closer.

"Whos there?" he called out, hearing his voice echo slightly.

"Relax Wes, I'm not here to hurt you," a voice said.

Just then, someone removed the blindfold, but because it had been on for so long, it took his eyes a few minutes to adjust to the lighting. Finally, he glanced around. "This is a time ship," he stared up at his kidnapper. "You're from Time Force," he said.

"Figured that one out all on your own, did ya?" he helped Wes back to his feet, and then removed the handcuffs. "I'm officer Kyle Riley, Time Force. I was sent here to track down a mutant and bring it back to the future," he told him.

Wes lunged at him, but Kyle sidestepped him. "You killed my father," Wes screamed.

"No Wes, I didn't. If you'll give me a second to explain, I…" before he could finish, Wes landed a kick to the side of his head, taking him down. Wes rushed for the exit, but was cut off as _he_ stood in his way.

"I think you should listen to what the man has to say,"

"Alex?!" Wes sighed, staring in amazement.

Kyle made it back to his feet, rubbing his jaw slightly. "Seventeen years ago, your time, Ransik sent a mutant back in time to assassinate your father before he could take over Bio-Lab. It was his belief that if he could prevent your father from heading up the company, history would be altered and Time Force would never exists. Two officers were sent back in time to prevent the attack, my partner, and myself and we were successful in stopping the assassination. That mutant was sentenced to Cryogenic containment, but a week ago, there was a malfunction and the mutant escaped. Unaware of how much time had passed here, the mutant commandeered a time ship and came here, hoping to finish the job. Alex and I were sent to bring the mutant back by any means necessary," he explained.

"Its too late, my father was killed. The mutant got to him," he snapped.

"No, I wanted the mutant to _think _your father was dead. With his target eliminated, your father would be safe while we tried to track down the mutant," he said.

"You mean my father is…"

"Very much alive, yes. He was teleported out of the car before it exploded," Alex told him.

"But I was there, I pulled a body out the car, I…"

"What you saw was synthetic tissues made to resemble a human being. When we teleported your father out, the sample was sent there in his place in the event there were witnesses. What we didn't count on was you finding him, which is why I had to bring you here and allow the local law enforcement believe you were killed in the explosion," Kyle said.

"But what about bodies? They're going to be wondering about…"

"Its been taken care of. The report will read that your bodies were disposed of; no more, no less. As far as the world is concerned, you died yesterday," he said.

"Where is my father?"

"Safe, for the time being. It won't take long for the mutant to realize what's going on and it will resume its search. We have to find it before it discovers the truth and finds your father," Alex said.

"How?"

"I intercepted a transmission from this time to the 31st century. I believe that once you were _killed_, Eric contacted Jen and the others. They're on their way here now to help Eric," he said.

"Good,"

"The only problem is, Eric was too close to uncovering what happened with you and your father, so I arranged to have him killed," Kyle said.

"Killed, or _killed_?" Wes inquired.

"Don't worry, he's safe as well and has been briefed on the situation. We're confident that we'll be able to track down the mutant and bring him in," he said.

"When all this happened, I was convinced that my Uncle Andrew had something to do with it," he mentioned.

"Actually, he does. I was hired by your Uncle to kidnap both you and your father, and then hold you until you were presumed legally dead. Once that happened, he would assume control of Bio-Lab and begin work on the bio-chemical weapons. What he doesn't know is that I'm a Time Force operative," Kyle said.

"That son of a…"

"Your funerals are scheduled for tomorrow, which means we have to find this mutant, capture it and get you back to Bio-Lab to assume control before he does," Alex said.

"But when this is all over, why can't my father just take control again?"

"History dictates that you would eventually take over the company. This is the way it has to be," Alex said.

He sighed. "Fine, so what do we do now?"

"Lets head to the shore. The others will be here any minute now," Kyle said.

"Okay, so lets get Eric and lets go," Wes said.


	5. Chapter Five

* * *

** Silver Hills, California 2004 **

* * *

"Today, Silver Hills will hold funerals for two of the most influential people in the city's history; Wesley Anthony Collins and his father, Alan Earl Collins. Two days ago, both were killed in a bar bombing. While the investigation is ongoing, the local police have been told to stay out of it. Commander Eric Myers of the Silver Guardians was the head of the investigation, but yesterday, he too was killed in a similar bombing. The general consensus is that this is the work of a rival company, intent on removing key figures for the multi-billion dollar company, Bio-Lab. I had the opportunity to speak to Detective Butler, who is now the head of the investigation, and she has ruled out the possibility of this being a terrorist attack. It is likely that…"

She'd heard enough. She reached for the control, turning off the television. In the beginning, she was convinced that Wes and Alan had been killed, but after hearing about Eric Myers being killed by a car bomb, she _knew_ it was Kyle. It was always Kyle's style to eliminate targets using the car bomb method. _"When the right amount of explosives are used, it leaves the body unrecognizable. Besides, I like explosions," _she recalled him saying once. If she knew Kyle the way she thought she did, she knew exactly where she would find the time ship, and once she did, she knew she'd find Wes and Alan as well.

After coming back to Silver Hills, she'd gotten a small hotel room near the edge of the city. It wasn't much, but it provided her with everything she needed. It gave her a place to stay in the city, and it was near the shoreline. Kyle was a creature of habit, and she knew that he'd probably landed the time ship on the shoreline. From her window, she could see the beach, but a giant cliff, which made it the perfect place to hide anything, obstructed most of the view. She glanced over at the clock on the wall, realizing that soon, she'd be able to make her move.

Taylor and Cassie walked into Bio-Lab, hoping to make it to Wes' office to find a clue. Something, anything, that could help them figure things out. As soon as they stepped through the door, the receptionist intercepted them.

"Can I help you ladies?" she said cheerfully.

"No thanks, we're just going to go up to Wes' office for a minute," Cassie told her.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. That floor is off limits."

"But whose authority?" Taylor asked.

"Mr. Collins," she paused. "_Andrew_ Collins, I mean," she corrected.

"I thought he quit."

"He did, but because he is the only living relative, he inherited the company by default," she said.

"Listen Shirley, I know Andrew told you not to let anyone us there, but we really need to get in there and look around," Cassie said.

"I'd like to help you, but I can't," Shirley sighed.

"Can you at least give us a copy of the sign in sheet so we can know who's been coming and going the last few days?" Taylor asked.

"I wish I could, but its against policy," she said, walking back over to her receptionist desk, pulling out a folder, setting it on top of the desk. "I have to go to the restroom, I'm sure the two of you can let yourselves out, right?" she asked.

Cassie smiled. "Of course," she said.

Shirley nodded, then simply walked away, leaving the folder on the desk. Once she was gone, Taylor grabbed the folder, and the two of them hurried on their way to Wes' office.

The Time Shadow megazord landed on the shore just as the sun was beginning to set. Jen, who was in front of the controls, began the landing procedures as the others unbuckled themselves from their restraints.

"Smooth landing," Circuit, who sat in the middle of the control panel, announced.

"Hey, first time for everything," Lucas commented.

"Now that we're here, what do we do?"

"We need to find Eric and try to piece together what's going on. If only there was a way that we could get into Bio-Lab…" she was quickly cut short.

"I think I may be able to help with that," he hurried over to the opposite control panel, pulling up information up on another screen. "It shouldn't be too hard to access Bio-Lab's database and add you to the personnel roster," Trip told them.

"You can do that from here?"

He looked up at Jen. "I'm done. You, Katie and Lucas are in the system now. You'll have to go the receptionist to get your security clearances, but you're in there," he said.

"Just me, Jen and Katie? What about you?" Lucas inquired.

"It would be a little to explain the guy with green hair and a jewel in his forehead, and I don't think Bio-Lab is big on hats," he mentioned.

"Okay, we'll get in there and see what we can find out in Mr. Collins office. When we're done, we'll all meet back here," Jen instructed.

"Good luck guys. I'll contact you if anything comes up," he said.

It was a strange feeling.

_'The world thinks I'm dead,'_ he scoffed inwardly. There were plenty of times in his life where he thought the world would be better off if he truly was dead. There were events in his life, circumstances, and there were times when he was convinced that he would never truly find happiness. He didn't know his father, and though he lived with his mother most of his life, he didn't _know_ her either. She worked two jobs trying to make ends meet, trying to provide him with a place to say and a quality education. She'd even managed to pay for him to go to a special boarding school, hoping it would give him the education she never had.

Of course, he wasn't able to stay very long.

He was in the school for a semester, and during that semester he met Wesley Collins. The two of them became friends rather quickly, but it didn't take him long to realize the two of them were from different worlds. Wes had come for a rich family, and had everything handed to him on a silver platter. He, on the other hand, had to struggle for everything he had. After they were unable to pay his tuition, he ended up in Silver Hills Public School.

A few years after he finished school, he applied for a job with the Silver Guardians. He was sure that someone with his background in martial arts would come in handy, and he had no idea how quickly he would be promoted. He also had no idea he would be reunited with Wesley Collins. The two of them were finally able to work out their difference, and now, were the best of friends.

His thoughts were interrupted as the doors slid open, and Alex walked into the room.

"Eric," he called out.

"Its about damn time someone came…" he was cut short as Alex stood aside, and Wes walked into the room. "Wes," he said, not realizing how eager he sounded until it was too late. It took everything he had, but he stopped himself from rushing over to Wes and hugging him. Instead, he extended his hand to him. "Good to see you're okay," he said dryly.

"You too man," they quickly shook. "Have Alex and Kyle told you what was going on?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm up to speed. But if you ask me, it sounds like a lot of trouble to go through to stop a mutant," he brought up.

"The steps we took were necessary, believe me. The mutant is our top priority, but there are other concerns as well. The timeline has to be protected, and Andrew Collins has to pay for what he's done. He has to be arrested for him crimes, and he cannot be allowed to manufacture bio-chemical weapons," Alex explained.

"I knew it," Wes snapped.

"So what do you want us to do?" Eric asked.

"You need to stay out of sight for now. Your funeral is in a few hours, and that's when we'll make our stand. Alan is scheduled to be there to deliver a eulogy, and when he does, he'll make our move on him," he said.

"Good, I always wanted to go to my own funeral," Wes laughed.

"Everything is going according to plan now Kyle," he walked behind his desk, sitting in his chair and kicking his feet up on the desk. "When we were kids, our father use to tell us how one day, we'd be able to benefit from all the hard worked he'd put into Bio-Lab. He told us that our family would be one of the most powerful and influential in this city. When the old man died, you know who he left the business to? Alan. My good for nothing, selfish annoying brother. I was in school for business management, I was the one with degrees in business, but who did he leave the company to? Alan. Alan was working in a damn pretzel shop when the old man died, he wasn't even in school. Why the hell did the old man leave the company to _him_?" he snapped.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" Kyle inquired.

"I suppose not. Now that they're out the way, I'll be able to fulfill my dreams, my destiny! I will usher Bio-Lab into a new era, making this company billions of dollars and making me the richest, most powerful man in the city!" he said.

"Don't you mean making _us_ rich?"

"Of course Kyle. I'll never forget the role you played in this. Granted, I didn't want my brother _killed,_ but what's done is done. Just keep Wes out the way until I'm officially announced the owner of Bio-Lab," he said.

"And what if young Mr. Collins tries to escape?"

"Kill him," Andrew said coldly.

"As you wish," Kyle agreed, taking made his way out the room. As he stepped into the hallway, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his morpher. "Everyone is going according to schedule, Collins doesn't suspect a thing," he said.

A holographic image of Alex appeared from the morpher. _"Good. Sensors have detected the mutant, its still in the city. Come back to the time ship so we can track it down and eliminate it before things get any worse,"_ he ordered.

"I'm on my way. Kyle out."

The three of them walked into the lobby, where the receptionist greeted them. "Good afternoon, how may I help you?" she asked politely.

It was Lucas who took a step forward. "The three of us are suppose to start work today, and we were told to come to you for our name badges," he said calmly.

"Name?"

"Lucas Kendal," he said.

She quickly turned to her computer, attempting to locate his information. "Oh, I see you here Mr. Kendal. You'll make a fine addition to our janitorial staff," she said.

"Janitorial staff?" he snapped, but took a deep breath. "Yes, of course, janitorial staff," he groaned inwardly, promising him he'd strangle Trip the next time he saw him.

"And you two are?" the receptionist inquired.

"They're with me," they all heard a voice say. They all turned as Myriah walked over to them. "Its okay Shirley, these two ladies are the extra help we hired just before Mr. Collins… passed away. I'll see to it that they're name badges are issued by the end of the day," she assured her.

"Okay," she responded.

"If you two ladies will come with me, I'll get you started," she said cheerfully, motioning for them to follow. The three of them stepped on the elevator, and as soon as the doors slid shut, she turned to them. "I knew Time Force would send someone to find out what was going on," she said.

"Who are you, and how do you know who we are?" Katie inquired.

"I'm Myriah Harris, I was Mr. Collins' personal assistant before he was killed. He talked to me about everything, and based on what he told me, I'd be able to pick you guys out of a crowded room. You're Jen, the pink ranger, and you must be Katie, but Alan always told me your hair was curly," she mentioned.

"It use to be, but…" she was cut short.

"We need access to Mr. Collins' office. Any computer files or paperwork that might explain why someone would want him out the way would be helpful," Jen said.

"Of course, anything I can do to help. It's a shame that Wes is gone, he would have loved to see you again," Myriah sighed.

Jen couldn't help but blush, but did her best to contain her emotions. "Were you and Wes…" she allowed her sentence to trail off.

"Me and Wes? Oh no, he was much too in love with Cassie to ever give me a second look, or a first one for that matter," she said.

"Cassie?"

"The former pink ranger. You know, Cassie. The two of them have been together about a year now," Myriah told her.

Part of her knew that sooner or later, Wes would move on with his life, but she always suspected he would have waited a little longer. Finally, the elevator doors opened, and the three of them stepped out.

"Which way?"

"Wes' office is down the hall and to the left. Mr. Collins' office is right across from it. I'll head back down to the lobby and keep an eye out for Andrew," she said.

"Thank you Myriah, for everything," Katie said.

Taylor sat behind Wes' desk, going through paperwork, trying to find some clue as to what Andrew was up to, but she wasn't coming up with anything. "I swear, if I could just get into Wes' computer for five minutes, I might be able to find something," she complained.

"Wes always kept everything password protected. He was sure someone was going to try to use the information in his computer to change the present and effect the future," Cassie told her.

Taylor stared at the screen, which was prompting her for a password. "What could he password be? I thought it would be your name, or redranger, but nothing I can think of is working," she said.

"Let me try," they heard a voice say.

Taylor glanced up towards the door. "Jen, Katie, what are you two doing here?" she asked.

"Probably the same thing you are, trying to get to the bottom of things," Jen walked behind the desk, turning her attention to the computer. "Wes is a creature of habit, and I'm willing to bet he uses the same password for everything," she said, inputting a code.

Taylor and Cassie watched on in amazement as the password prompt screen disappeared, and was replaced by information. "What was the password?" Cassie asked.

"Destiny," she said simply.

"Okay, now that we're in, where should we start looking?" Taylor asked.

"We don't, I have a much better idea," Jen said as she reached in her pocket, pulling out a small device, attaching it to the side of the computer, then pressed a button. A light on the device began to flash, and information began to race across the screen. Next, she nodded at Katie, tacitly instructing her.

Katie pulled a device out of her pocket. "Trip, are you getting the information?" she asked.

_"Yes, but the processors in this time are a lot slower than our computers, I can only download 20 GB at a time. The entire download should take another three minutes," _he said.

"20 gigs a second? Wow, Cam would go crazy if his computer could download that fast," Taylor commented.

"Listen, there is mutant loose in the city, and we have to stop it before it can do any damage. We brought our zord, but none of us have any morphers. With Wes and Eric gone, there will be no one here to protect the city. Can the two of you help?" Jen asked.

"Neither of us have our morphers either, but we'll do what we can. We should to try find out where Wes is, he still has his morpher," Cassie mentioned.

Her statement quickly caught Katie and Jen's attention. "I thought Wes was…"

"No, hes alive, and I think Eric is too. I was on the phone with Wes when he heard an explosion, and he went to investigate it. He wasn't in the car when it exploded, and Eric and I were close to figuring it out, but he was killed in an explosion. Wes is alive somewhere, and we have to find him," she said.

"If he still has his morpher, we should be able to track it," she reached for her communicator. "Trip, can you run a search for morphers present in the city that have a Time Force signature?" Katie asked.

_"That shouldn't take very long," there was a pause. "That's strange, I think the download I'm running is interfering with the search," _he said.

"Why? What's wrong?"

_"I'm reading two Quantum morphers, a pink morpher and two red morphers. All of them are active, that can't be right,"_ he said.

"Run the scan again."

_"I am, but the results are the same. The download is complete now, and I'm going to run the scan for a third time, but still, its saying there are 5 morphers active,"_ he said.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure, but we can't be concerned with that right now. The two of you should get ready for the funeral, we can't let Andrew Collins think anything is unusual," Jen said. "Katie and I will head back to the Time Shadow and try to make sense of the files we just downloaded, maybe it will give us a clue as to what's going on."

"Before we came up here, we were able to get our hands on the sign in sheet at the front desk, the only name that appears on the list several times in a Kyle Riley, other than that, we…" she was cut short.

"Kyle Riley?" Katie inquired.

"Yeah, do you know him?"

"Hes the Quantum Ranger," she paused. "At least he is in our time. If Kyle is here, things must be worse than I thought," she said.

"Suddenly this is all starting to make sense," she stood up. "Kyle is here trying to track down the mutant that escaped. Because he was the one who originally captured the mutant back in 1987, he'd have a personal interest in this," Jen said.

"I remember reading that case file, it was the first recorded incident of a mutant traveling to the past. Wasn't his partner killed in a car explosion?" Katie brought up.

Then suddenly, it occurred to both of them. "Oh my God," they said in unison.

"What is it?"

"Kyle is the one who set the explosives in Mr. Collins car, and wanted the world to believe that Mr. Collins and Wes were both dead, probably because the mutant was after them. With them dead, they would be safe to track the mutant without putting Wes or Mr. Collins in danger. Then, Eric started his investigation and was getting too close to the truth, so Kyle arranged for Eric to appear killed. With all of them out the way, they can track the mutant, and after they capture it, Wes, Mr. Collins and Eric can come back," she explained.

"But why would Kyle be helping Andrew take control of the company?" Cassie asked.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling there's a lot more going on here than we know. You two go get ready for the funeral, we'll meet you there," Jen told them.

"Good luck guys," Taylor said as the two of them made their way out the office.


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: is still having some problems with the formats, so please bare with me.

* * *

"Okay Trip, what have you been able to find out?" Jen inquired as she and Katie stood behind him, leaning over to check his findings.

"The data transference device you put on Wes' computer allowed me to tap into Bio-Lab's complete database. I downloaded it all, but Andrew's files were encrypted, and he was using a complex algorithm to block any external access, but…" he was quickly cut short.

"Trip, just get to the point," she hurried.

"From what I could determine from Andrew's files, he plans to release a virus not just to the city, but the entire country. His plan is to infect them all, then charge billions of dollars for the antidote. Based on these projections, he planned to release the virus into the water supply," he told them.

"That sick bastard," Katie groaned.

"Its worse. What he doesn't know is that the virus is binary compound. While the virus will cause anyone who comes into contact with it pain, it will pass in a few weeks and the symptoms will fade. But, when the antidote is released into the blood stream, it will combine with the virus and alter the DNA on a cellular level. It will warp the DNA of any human, turning them into…"

"Mutants," she sighed.

"Andrew can't know what he's doing, which means…" she was cut short.

"Someone put him up to it and told him he'd be rich if he went along with the plan, but who would want to create mutants?" Katie asked.

"My first guess would have been Ransik, but he isn't even a mutant anymore," Trip brought up.

"We can't worry about that right now. If we can stop Andrew before he can release the virus, we can prevent of all this from happening," she paused. "Have you run a scan for the mutant we're tracking?" she asked.

"Yes. Its been heading south, and if it keeps going, it will end up at the funeral," he told her.

"Trip, can you come up with something that will counter the mutant virus _after_ the antidote begins to alter the DNA?" Jen asked him.

"I have all the information I need here to synthesize the virus and the antidote. Once I have both and analyze them, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with something," he said.

"Do it, but before you do, try running another scan, but not for any specific mutant," she said.

"What? Why?"

"Because I think there's another mutant here," Jen said.

"That can't be right, we captured all the mutants in 2001, then destroyed the mutorgs in 2003. There can't be any mutants here," Katie mentioned.

"I'm willing to bet there is, and whoever it is, they're the one calling the shots," Jen said with a look of determination on her face.

* * *

_"I'm Cynthia Hawkins reporting from the funeral of Bio-Lab CEO Alan Collins, his son, Wesley Collins, and co-leader of the Silver Guardians, Eric Myers. The citizens of Silver Hills knew Eric and Wesley best as Power Rangers, protecting the city from a mutant threat a little over three years ago. Alan Collins and his son were killed in a car bombing three days ago, and Eric Myers killed the very next day in yet another bombing. Foul play is suspected, but local police have not made any arrests, and are yet to come up with any suspects. Citizens of Silver Hills have been invited to the funeral today to pay their respects to these fallen heroes, and according to…"_

She cut the television off. She'd heard more than she needed to hear. Granted, she didn't know the whole story, and the circumstances leading up to the situation eluded her, but it didn't matter. Something told her she _needed_ to be there, and she had every intention of going.

She quickly walked into the next room, leaning down near in the corner and removing the floorboard, revealing a hole. She reached in, pulling out a morpher, quickly putting it on her wrist and rushed out the house, making her way to Silver Hills.

* * *

"What are Jen and the others up to?" Alex asked as he paced back and forth in the time ship, waiting for Kyle to arrive. He knew they'd stolen the Time Shadow Megazord and traveled back to the 21st century, and he knew they'd already been inside Bio-Lab, but Jen's intentions eluded him.

It was safe to assume that she was trying to determine who killed Alan Collins, but there were so many other things going on, so many other things happening that he was convinced Jen would do more harm than help.

Finally, Kyle stepped onto the ship, presenting Alex with a tape. "There it is, he confesses to the whole thing. Conspiring to kill Alan Collins and kidnapping Wes," he told him.

"Did you make a copy?"

"Yes. When the authorities of this time get their hands on this tape, Andrew will locked away, and this disaster never has to happen," he said.

"For this to work, Alan Collins will have to stay out of histories way. The world believes he's dead, and it will have to stay that way," Alex mentioned.

"Have you talked to him?"

He shook his head. "No, I thought it would be best if I had Wes to him after all of this was over. No need to tell him everything just yet," he said.

"Sounds reasonable."

"We should get going. The funeral will start soon, and I'm willing to bet that the mutant will show up there," Alex told him.

"But Al, this is no ordinary mutant. We're good, but I don't think we'll be able to handle it alone. Maybe it's a good idea to let Eric and Wes help up on this one," he brought up.

"Sometime tells me that we'll be getting all the help we need," he sighed.

* * *

It was a beautiful afternoon, and most of the city had turned out for the funeral. Everyone stood lined up, but leaving an opening for the minister and other family members to make their way to the headstone. Although most of them didn't know Wes, Alan or Eric personally, all of them had been effected by the Silver Guardians are saved by the Power Rangers at one point of another. Everyone had to come to pay their final respects to their fallen heroes, and they all gave a warm welcome as Andrew Collins made his way through the crowd, standing in front of the headstone, then turned to address them.

"I'd like to thank everyone for coming out today to celebrate the lives of my brother, my nephew, and a living legend, the Quantum Ranger, Eric Myers," he wiped a tear away from his eye. "It was truly a honor and privilege to have worked with such remarkable people, and to have them taken out of the world so prematurely is a crime not just to me and my family, but to humanity. All of them were dedicated to the protection of this city, and I am touched that so many of you cared to come out and honor their memories with me. First off, I'd like to…" he was cut short as a car came flying through the air, landing about twenty feet away from them, then exploding.

Everyone began to scramble with in fear as the mutant made his way towards Andrew. It had to be, at first glance, over eight feet tall, and had two sets of arms. It was covered in a thick, slimy fluid, and had glowing green eyes. It turned its attention to Andrew, walking towards him slowly. It hissed at him, reaching one of its arms towards him, and Andrew fell to the knees, covering his face in fear.

Before it could grab him, a beam of energy struck the mutant in the hand, forcing it to howl out in pain. It turned to see where the energy beam had come from, where it saw the red ranger.

"Time Force, and you're under arrest!" the red ranger said, standing firmly.

The mutant rushed at him, but the red ranger did a flip, jumping over the mutant and landed it behind him. He aimed his Chrono blaster at the mutant, but it reached out, grabbing the blaster and crushing it in its hand. Before the red ranger could move, the mutant back handed him, knocking him almost ten feet into the air and sent him crashing down to the ground.

The red ranger powered down, revealing Alex lying on the ground, holding his ribs in pain as the mutant approached him. It leaned down to grab him again, but it was the Quantum ranger who landed a kick to the side of the head, knocking the mutant off its feet.

The Quantum Ranger turned to Alex, helping him up. "You okay Al?" he asked

"I've been better, now lets take this mutant down," he said.

They charged at the mutant together, hitting a double sabat kick, but the mutant grabbed the Quantum ranger by the ankle, throwing him across the cemetery. Alex caught the mutant in the jaw with an elbow, then pulled the badge off his uniform, jabbing the mutant in the eye with it. That was enough to make the mutant cry out in pain, but he also grabbed Alex by the throat and began to choke the life out of him. Alex was fading fast, but at that moment, Cassie and Taylor charged over to the mutant. Cassie jumped on its back and tried to choke it, but with no luck. Taylor picked up what was left of Alex's blasted and stabbed the mutant in the arm, forcing it to let Alex go. He fell to the ground gasping for air, and Taylor helped him up, taking him out of harm's way.

The mutant took its frustrations out of Cassie, flipping her over, and then picked her up with one hand, choking her. She struggled to get free, but with no luck. Taylor tried to make the save, but was unsuccessful as the mutant simply swatted her away.

"Your time is up mutant!" they heard a voice say.

Alex glanced over his shoulder as both Wes and Eric stepped through the smoke of the exploded car, each of them with a look of contempt in their eyes.

"Oh Wes, thank God you're…" Andrew was cut short as Eric cocked back, hitting him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Damn that felt good," he admitted.

"Come on Eric, let's end this!" Wes said.

Eric quickly nodded.

_"TIME FOR, TIME FORCE!!"_

_ "QUANTUM POWER!!" _

In an instant, the two of them were transformed into their respective ranger uniforms. They both called for their weapons, charging at the mutant. Wes used his Chrono saber to slice the mutants arm off, forcing it to drop Cassie, but no sooner did the severed arm hit the ground, the mutant grew another arm in its place.

Eric aimed and fired the Quantum Defender, catching the mutant between the eyes, leaving a hole in the middle of its head. It stumbled back, but the wound began to heal itself.

"How the hell are we suppose to stop this thing if it just keeps healing itself?" Wes asked.

"That's the point rangers, you _aren't_ suppose to stop him!" a voice said.

Wes and Eric turned, and couldn't believe their eyes as they saw…

"Gluto?" they asked in unison, both of them with a sound of shock in their voice.

Gluto stood only a few feet away, but had a bloody and battered Jen on her knees beside him. He'd tied what looked like a rope around her neck, but the rope seemed to glow. "My mutant can't be stopped, and unless you surrender right now, I'm going to destroy the pink ranger," he warned them.

Without question, Wes dropped his Chrono saber.

"Wes, we can't give up, we can…" he was cut short.

"Eric, I won't risk Jen's life. We have no choice," he sighed.

Reluctantly, Eric agreed, dropping the Quantum Defender to the ground.

"Human sentiment will be the death of you. After I infect this worthless city, I will become king of all mutants, and I will do what Ransik couldn't do, prevent Time Force from even existing," he said.

"But how? We captured all the mutants in 2001," Wes brought up.

"Not all of them. During the battle, I put myself into Cryogenic suspension, waiting for the day that I would be able to get revenge. It wasn't until Andrew showed up and released me that I came up with my plan to rule the planet, and with his help, the world will be mine," he said.

"Andrew, I should have known," Wes groaned.

"Wes," he stood up, holding his face in pain. "I didn't know what he was planning. He told me if I listened to him, I'd be rich," Andrew said in his defense.

"And let me guess, you gave your mutant here the virus and the antidote, and it mutated, making it even stronger, didn't you?" Alex asked him.

"Got it all figured out, don't you ranger? Not that it matters, its too late," Gluto said.

"That's all I needed to hear," a voice said.

Alex turned to see Trip standing behind the mutant, aiming a weapon at it. Before the mutant realized what was happening, Trip fired the weapon, but the mutant caught what looked like a needle before it could connect.

"Nice try rangers, but its over. I want all of you on the ground now, or the pink ranger gets it," he snapped.

One by one, Trip, Eric, Wes and Alex layed on the ground. Kyle, Cassie and Taylor quickly followed suit. "You won't get away with this Gluto. We'll stop you," Alex vowed.

"Really? How? My mutant is the most powerful creature ever created; I have the virus and your friend at my mercy. Its over rangers, you've lost," he said.

"Don't count on it!"

They all glanced up, trying to see where the voice came from, only to see the pink ranger charge at the mutant with a spin kick, knocking it to the ground. It reached out to grab her, but the pink ranger picked up Wes' Chrono saber and sliced its arm off. The arm quickly began to regenerate, but the pink ranger snatched the needle out its other hand and jabbed it down into the open wound. The mutant howled out in pain as it began to get smaller and smaller until eventually, it was miniature.

"What have you done?" Gluto screamed.

The pink ranger threw the Chrono saber at Gluto, cutting through the rope that was holding Jen, and before Gluto could realize it, Jen caught the saber in her hand, gave him a sweep and knocked him off his feet. She quickly stood over him, putting the saber to his throat.

"Your time is up Gluto," she snapped.

Everyone made it back to his feet, staring at the pink ranger with a look of surprise and shock on their faces. It was Alex who approached her.

"Sierra? Who authorized you to come to the 21st century?" he snapped.

"Al, it isn't Sierra," Kyle walked over to them. "Its Elaine," he said calmly.

"What? How?" Alex inquired, trying to get a grasp on what was going on.

"Actually, you're both wrong," the pink ranger said as she powered down, revealing a young girl. She had long, brown hair, brown eyes and a girlish grin on her face.

"Who are…"

"Her name is Leslie, she's my daughter," they heard a voice say.

Before any of them could even turn their heads to see who it was, _she _walked over to them.

"Elaine?" Alex asked.

Wes took a step forward, getting a good look at her. At first, his mind wouldn't let him believe it. 'It can't be,' he tried to tell himself.

"Mom?"


	7. Chapter Seven: conclusion

* * *

Silver Hills 2004 AD

* * *

Andrew leaned up against the wall in his cell, staring out the window. Considering there was another building directly outside, and that there were bars in the window, there wasn't much of a view.

He sat there, trying to come to terms with what had happened over the past few hours. 'Elaine? But how?' he wondered. He remembered the day she was killed, and how devastated Alan was. He recalled going to her funeral, helping Alan as much as he could with raising Wes. The entire time, he was plotting against his brother, looking for ways to undermine him within the compnay, looking for ways to take the Bio-Lab from him.

It wasn't until he was on a hiking trip that he came across what looked like, to him, a space ship. He wandered inside the ship, amazed at some of the things he saw. Everything seemed too advanced, further ahead than anything he'd ever seen before. It was then that he accidentally released Gluto from his cryogenic prison, and Gluto made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

From there, his plans went into motion, and when he met Kyle, he knew he'd found the perfect man to carry out his plan. The plan was kidnap both Wes and Alan until they were declared legally dead. Meanwhile, as the only living relative, Andrew would inherit the company. After he assumed control of Bio-Lab, Kyle would send him a ransom note demanding money, money that Andrew would happily give to save his family. Because of that selfless act, he would be declared a public hero, and because Wes and Alan were already declared dead, they would no claim to Bio-Lab.

With phase one of his plan complete, he would begin developing the bio-chemical agents, which would infect the city. Then, in another act of heroism, he would come up with a cure for the plague that infected the city. Not only would he be praised as a hero, he would make billions of dollars by charging for the antidote.

In his opinion, it was a brilliant plan, and would have succeeded, but things had gotten out of hand. After the battle at the funeral, he was arrested without the possibility of bail, awaiting a trial.

Though his plans to make billions of dollars were ruined, he remained confident that there was no way they would be able to link him to Wes and Alan's deaths. _'Then again, Wes isn't even dead. Maybe Alan isn't either. I'll be outta here in 24 hours,'_ he thought to himself.

"You got a visitor," a guard announced, quickly getting Andrew's attention.

Andrew stood up, walking over the bars in his cell as he walked into the room.

"Kyle, you're here to get me out, right?" he asked.

"No, I'm here to tell you you're going to be in here for a long time," he told him.

He glanced around, making sure there was no one else around. "Now that Wes is back, Alan may be back too. Maybe they got out the car before it exploded, so they can't pin us with murder. Besides, I never did anything. It was you who planted the explosives in the car, so if I'm going down, you're going with me," he pointed out.

Kyle reached in his pocket, pulling out a mini recorder, then pressed play:

_"Now that they're out the way, I'll be able to fulfill my dreams, my destiny! I will usher Bio-Lab into a new era, making this company billions of dollars and making me the richest, most powerful man in the city!" he said._

_"Don't you making us rich?"_

_"Of course Kyle. I'll never forget the role you played in this. Granted, I didn't want my brother killed, but what's done is done. Just keep Wes out the way until I'm officially announced the owner of Bio-Lab," he said._

_"And what if young Mr. Collins tries to escape?"_

_"Kill him," Andrew said coldly._

_"As you wish," Kyle agreed._

He pressed stop on the tape. "I've already given a copy of this tape to the authorities, and when they realize you're an accessory to murder, and you'll be in here for at least twenty five years," Kyle said.

"But I mentioned your name on that tape. I'll be in here for live, but so will you," he mentioned.

"I doubt where I'm going, they'll be able to find me," he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his morpher. "Kyle to Alex, I'm ready here," he said.

_'Stand by,'_ a voice said.

"One more thing Andrew: where you're going, you don't wanna drop the soap," he said.

"You bastard, I swear I'll..."

He was cut short as there was a stream of blue light that seemed to engulf Kyle. Then, within seconds, he was gone.

* * *

"I don't understand, how did you... I mean, how are you..." Wes couldn't find the words. Rather, he knew what he wanted to say, but was so overcome with emotion that he couldn't express them.

"I know Kyle must have told you about his mission in the past to capture a renegade mutant," Wes nodded. "What he probably didn't tell you was that I was his partner, and the mutant's mission was to assassinate your father. I went undercover, getting close to your father to protect him from the mutant. While I was here, I fell in love with him, and once our mission was over, I told Kyle I wasn't going back. He agreed to leave me in the past, where I married your father and had you. Almost ten years later, Time Force became aware of my presence in the past, and sent a retrieval team to get me. Kyle came back as well, helping me fake my death so that I wouldn't have to go back," she explained.

"So when that car exploded..." he was cut short.

"I wasn't inside. Kyle helped me stay out of histories way, allowing me to watch you grow up," she said.

"But what about her? When did I get a sister?" he asked.

Leslie quickly chimed in. "Mom was pregnant with me when Kyle helped her fake her death, and she never got the chance to tell you or dad about me. She raised me the best she could, training me in martial arts as best she could. When she stormed out the house a few days ago and didn't tell me where she was going, and when I saw what was happening on the news, it didn't take me long to figure out where she'd went. I took her morpher and came here," she explained.

Wes sighed, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I never forgot you mom, never," he cried, rushing over to him and wrapping her arms around her again.

"I know baby, I've watched you over the years. I was there when you graduated from school, when you first encountered the Time Force rangers, when you and Eric did your best to protect the city on your own. I saw it all, and I was so proud of the man you'd become," she cried.

"So what happens now?" Leslie asked.

"Now, we have to ensure that the time line is preserved," it was at that moment that Alex walked into the room. He quickly removed his sunglasses, tucking them neatly into his uniform. "Wes, you have to assume control of Bio-Lab as history intended," he said.

"But why? Dad is alive, why can't we..."

"I have a feeling he won't want to resume control of the company after I make him an offer," he said.

"What offer?"

"Time Force regulations dictate that now that I know about Elaine's presence in the past, I have to turn her into the proper authorities, but because history already presumes her dead, I see no reason to do that. Also, if Alan were to come back, then Kyle couldn't be convicted of murder, and within a few years, he'd be free again. So, provided that the two of will agree to simply stay out of histories way, I will allow the two of them to be together again," he told them.

"You mean Alan and I..."

He nodded. "Yes, both of you have done your best to preserve the future on more than one occasion, and I see no reason to separate the two of you again," he said.

"But she just got back. You mean I have to let her go again?" Wes snapped.

"There's no other way."

"There is always another way. I will not lose my mother again!" he snapped.

"Wes, you'll never lose me. I'll always be here if you need me," Elaine said.

"I need you here, with me."

"If Time Force were to find out I was still alive, I would be taken back to the year 3000 for memory adaptation, and Alex and Kyle would both be fired from Time Force. Its best if I just disappear again," she told him.

"But I don't want to be without you again. I want to get to know you, to know my sister," Wes sighed.

"Leslie will be allowed to stay with you, so that history can take its natural course," Alex said.

"Wait a sec," she turned to Alex. "You're saying that all of this was meant to happen?" Leslie asked.

"I'm not qualified to answer that, but I will say that history always finds a way to unfold as it should," he said.

"Will I ever see you again mom?" Wes asked.

"Probably not, but I'll see you," she promised.

"Wes, you should get to Bio-Lab. I'm sure the press will be looking for a statement from the new CEO of the company," Alex said.

"I guess you're right,"

"Besides, you'll have to show your sister around," Elaine told him.

Wes rushed over to his mother, wrapping his arms around her again. "I love you mom, I've always loved you," he cried.

"I know baby, I know."

* * *

He'd been locked away so lock, he wasn't sure how much time had passed. He wasn't sure where he was, but even though he was blindfolded, he was able to pick up on a few different things.

For one, wherever he was, it was cold. Based on how the floors and walls felt, it was metal, like a ship of some kind, but he honestly couldn't tell if they were in motion or not. He'd heard a few thumps in the distance, and sometimes he heard voices, but nothing he could make out. Several times a day, someone came into his room and presented him with a plate of food. However was responsible for kidnapping him, they'd done their best to make him feel comfortable.

He was able to move freely around what he conceived to be a cell, but there were no discernable windows or doors, at least not of the conventional type. Even though he'd been locked away for what felt like days, he rested comfortably knowing that sooner or later, Eric and Wes would find him.

His thoughts were broken as he heard a familiar hissing sound. He didn't know what he was, but it was sound he normally heard when it was time to eat, so he assumed the hissing was the sound of a door opening.

"Who's there?" he called out.

There was no answer.

"Damn it, I said who's there?" he snapped.

He felt someone grab his hands, but not forcefully, simply enough to remove the constraints on his hands. Next, they removed the blindfold. Before he'd been in the dark for days, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. When they did come into focus, he saw her.

"Elaine?" he sighed.

"Yes Alan, its me," she cried.

"How... what..." he backed away from her.

"Its me Alan, Elaine. I'm here," she told him, leaning in and touching his face.

"Laney?" he cried.

She nodded, and without another word, they wrapped their arms around one another.

Alex and Kyle, who were standing in the doorway watching, simply smiled with approval.

* * *

_  
"This is Chynthia Hawkins in a channel six exclusive. Apparently, the death of red ranger Wesley Collins, and his partner, Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger was a hoax. Wesley Collins, son of billionaire Alan Collins, faked his death in order to unravel the conspiracy of who murdered his father. After receiving an audio tape of Andrew Collins, Alan's brother, conspiring with an unidentified person to murder Wes, prosecutors opted to attorneys today to sentence him to the death penalty. If convicted, the death penalty will be administered, but we have been informed that Andrew's lawyers are hoping to appeal that decision._

_Both Wesley Collins and Eric Myers have returned to work today, and though he refused to speak to the public, was quoted as saying he will not be satisfied until his Uncle has been brought to justice for his crimes, and that he will be assume control of the multi-billion dollar company, Bio-Lab. _

_In other news..."_

He quickly turned off the television, tossing the remote on the table.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," Cassie sighed, wrapping her arms around him.

"Next time I plan to fake my death, I'll let you in on it," he joked.

"So what happens now?"

"Now, I try to run the company and take care of my sixteen year old sister," he told her.

"Well, you won't have to do it alone. I'll be here," she assured him.

He leaned down, kissing her gently on the lips. "Thank you, I needed to hear that," he said.

She leaned in to kiss him again, but they were interrupted...

'Wes, this is Lucas. Come in,' a voice said.

Wes glanced down at his morpher, where a holographic image of Lucas appeared. "What's up Lucas?"

_'We're about to leave. I thought you might wanna say goodbye,' _he mentioned.

Wes glanced over at Cassie, who nodded, tacitly agreeing. "I'm on my way," he said. The holographic image of Lucas appeared, and Wes stood up. "You're welcome to come," he offered.

She shook her head. "No, go say goodbye to your friends," she said.

"You sure?"

"Positive," Cassie said.

He leaned down, kissing her on the cheek. "I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you," he said, then made his way out the house.

* * *

By the time he arrived at the beach, Eric and Taylor were already there, saying their goodbyes.

"About time you got here Collins," Eric joked.

"I was held up," he glanced over at Taylor. "I work with this guy so I have to put up with him, what's your excuse?"

"He's good in bed," she told him.

"Damn straight!" Eric added.

At that moment, Jen approached them. "Hi," she said shyly.

"Come on Eric, we'll go wait in the truck," Taylor said, grabbing him by the hand and leading him away.

"Hi," Wes said.

"Its good to see you're okay. For a minute there I thought..."

"You came all this way because you thought I was dead?" he asked.

She nodded. "I had to see for myself, I didn't want to believe it," she said.

He moved closer to know. "I think you should know," he paused. "I've been with Cassie for a while now," he said.

"I know."

"I love her, but there will always be a part of me that still loves you," he told her.

"I know that too."

"I just didn't want you to think that..." he was cut short as she leaned in, kissing him on the cheek.

"I still love you too," she sighed, and then backed away slowly. "Take care of your sister, you have no idea how important she is to the future," she told him.

With a tear in his eye, he watched Jen as she walked towards the Time Shadow, disappearing into a stream of blue light.

"Goodbye Jen," Wes sighed.

* * *

Jen walked over to the controls, sitting down at her station. Although she didn't say a word, it wasn't hard for the others to tell she was upset.

"Are you going to be okay?" Trip asked her.

"I'm fine," she wiped the tear away from her eyes. "Lets get going, its time to go home," she said.

"Did you tell him about you and Alex?" Katie asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think he needs to know. He's happy now, lets just leave it that way," she said.

"Engaging engines," Lucas said.

"We're ready, lets go," Trip said.

* * *

Time Force 3000 AD

* * *

The Time Shadow landed into the docking bay, and the four of them quickly stepped out. The first thing they noticed was that the time ship had already docked, meaning Alex and Kyle were already there.

They proceeded down the hallway, where they found her laying on the ground.

"Oh God, Sierra," Jen sighed, dropping to her knees to check on her. "She's dead."

"You didn't hit her that hard, did you?" Trip asked.

"Look around, there was a battle here, a big one," Katie mentioned.

The four of them glanced around, noticing laser burns along the walls, broken glass and damaged equipment.

"What could have happened here?"

"I'll tell you what happened," they all looked up as Alex walked over to them, holding his ribs in pain. His uniform had been ripped to shreds, and he appeared to be badly injured. "Its Ransik, he's back!"

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**END?**


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